Illumination apparatus for vehicle

Abstract

An illumination apparatus for a vehicle includes a projector configured to project an image of visible light; and a processing apparatus configured to predict a travel area of the vehicle after a predetermined time or a predetermined distance of travel, and project an image in the predicted travel area with the projector for illumination of the travel area, the image being indicative of a travel state of the vehicle or a control state of the vehicle.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An illumination apparatus for a vehicle, the illumination apparatus comprising:
 a projector configured to project an image of visible light; and 
 a processing apparatus configured to predict a travel area of the vehicle after a predetermined time or a predetermined distance of travel, and project an image in the predicted travel area with the projector for illumination of the travel area, the image being indicative of a travel state of the vehicle or a control state of the vehicle, wherein the processing apparatus projects the image indicative of the control state of the intervention control with the projector, wherein the intervention control includes an autonomous vehicle speed control, and the processing apparatus projects, in an acceleration control state, the image such that only a front end portion of the image is flashed, and projects, in a deceleration control state, the image such that only a rear end portion of the image is flashed, and wherein front and rear directions of the image are defined with respect to the image on a road surface viewed from the vehicle side. 
 
     
     
       2. An illumination apparatus for a vehicle, the illumination apparatus comprising:
 a projector configured to project an image of visible light; and 
 a processing apparatus configured to predict a travel area of the vehicle after a predetermined time or a predetermined distance of travel, and project an image in the predicted travel area with the projector for illumination of the travel area, the image being indicative of a travel state of the vehicle or a control state of the vehicle, wherein the processing apparatus projects the image indicative of the control state of the intervention control with the projector, wherein the intervention control includes an autonomous steering control, wherein the processing apparatus projects, in a steering control state in a right direction with an intervention amount greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the image such that only a right portion of the image is flashed, and projects, in a steering control state in a left direction with an intervention amount greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the image such that only a left portion of the image is flashed, and wherein left and right directions of the image are defined with respect to the image on a road surface viewed from the vehicle side. 
 
     
     
       3. The illumination apparatus for a vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the processing apparatus projects different images with the projector between a state in which an intervention control to be performed regardless of a driver operation is executable and a state in which the intervention control is not executable.